Shouto
by Tayra Green
Summary: When he finally looked up at her, his eyes shone with unshed tears. "Remember who you are. You are Shouto."


****PLEASE READ****

 **So, this is my first time posting a fanfic of any sort in...maybe five years? I haven't written in a while, so my apologies if it seems sloppy or repetitive.**

 **This one is centred around Christmas, and I know it's a little early for that, but it was just a random idea that came to me so I went with it :P Also, I haven't read much of the manga, mainly basing everything I know from the anime, so if I get any details wrong please feel free to correct me so I know better for next time haha**

 **I wish TodoMomo had more fanfics, and I usually keep my writing to myself, but when I finished this one-shot I thought it was good enough to let others read and decided on a whim to post it. I'm assuming it's not just me that wants more TodoMomo fanfics, so here you go!**

* * *

When Momo found out that Todoroki Shouto didn't celebrate Christmas, her heart sank. Thinking about him spending such a day all alone training as usual almost made her want to cry. She thought about her years growing up opening the Christmas gifts her parents got her, guising them as presents from a hefty man in a red and white suit. All of those years of gathering her family together for a festive meal and holding a party in their home, and Todoroki had never experienced any of it.

She would've gladly invited him to spend Christmas with her and her family, but she knew her mother would never allow it. The Todoroki family and the Yaoyorozu family had a rivalry in a sense, both standing high on the list of outstanding heroes and plentiful in wealth. They still invited each other to parties in acknowledgement of their superiority, along with all of the other prosperous families, but that was about as far as it went. Momo knew she wouldn't get far if she tried bringing it up with her parents.

Instead, Momo settled on inviting him to the Christmas party her parents always held around dinner time, deciding she would give him his gifts before he left afterwards. She knew he wasn't one for those parties though, and promised him once she made a short appearance, they would leave, maybe even go for a walk.

And then he told her he would come.

Christmas was always a hectic time of year for Momo, even more so this year. This year she, while juggling all of the usual stuff that went on, had to sneak around a lot to spend time perfecting her Christmas presents for Todoroki. Embarrassed by the entire idea of telling anyone she had plans for him for Christmas, Momo kept it entirely secret. Her best friend was suspicious, all too knowing when it came to Momo, but didn't push it, only supporting her from the side lines whenever she needed an extra hand coming up with an excuse to leave.

When she'd finally finished his gifts, she'd hid them away in the top drawer of the desk in her dorm room, only taking them out when the time came to bring them home to give to Todoroki after the party. And now that the party had started and the guests were bustling about, chatting the night away all around her, Momo was a bundle of nerves.

Todoroki would show up any time now, and Momo was suddenly unsure of herself. When she'd first started on his presents, Momo thought they would be perfect for him, but now that the time had come to actually give them to him, she was beginning to have second thoughts. She could only hope that what she had settled on making him wasn't too much. Sure, they were closer friends now, and Momo was sure she was one of the few people he was more open with, but would that make her gifts any less excessive?

She told herself she just wanted him to enjoy this Christmas and was doing her best to help make him happy. That was all she wanted. For him to experience a happy and festive Christmas, and to feel important. She knew his father was hard on him growing up, and he still was, but Todoroki stood up to him more and more as he grew older and stronger, slowly learning to think more and more for himself. She knew he didn't think he was anything special, but she wanted to change that. She wanted him to feel like he mattered.

And she would try her best to make that happen.

Momo smiled and spoke with a few guests, keeping her eyes open for the half red and half white head of hair amongst the crowd. It was how she'd spotted him at many parties before, his hair such an unusual combination of colour that he stood out more, making him easier to find in any large group of people.

She was praised by many of her parents guests every time she appeared at one of their parties, but she also received her fair share of snarky comments, telling her she wasn't nearly as good as people thought she was, usually bringing up a comment or two about her performance in the school tournament.

Momo was taught well, but once she'd experienced defeat the way she did at that tournament, her confidence had dropped and words began to hurt more and more. She used to be able to brush off any of the mean comments thrown her way because of her inexperience, never having lost before. But that was the thing; she'd never really fought before either. She had training sessions with paid teachers and simulations growing up, but she'd never experienced an actual fight.

She was learning a lot from UA, and she was glad. She feared her ego was too big before she'd attended the school and made it her goal to take a step back from her high-standing pedestal.

She excused herself from a guest that had started asking about her training regimen, being as polite as she could, and made her way over to the long table pressed against the side wall of the large ballroom, a variety of snacks and beverages assorted across it. Momo let out a heavy sigh, tapping her finger against one of the fancy wine glasses, a nice ding ringing out from it.

"Yaoyorozu?" A gentle hand touched her arm and she turned, instantly recognizing the red and white of his hair. Todoroki retracted his hand and smiled a small smile.

"Todoroki, thank you for coming!" She greeted, angling her body towards him. She gave him a once over, finding she approved his attire. The white dress shirt he wore looked ironed and fit him well, his nice light grey sweater he had rolled up above his elbows going well with the grey dress pants he wore.

She remembered telling him not to dress too nicely, but still party-appropriate since she was required to attend for at least a little while, and the only reason he was able to come over was because of the party. She herself was only dressed in a red sweater dress and thin black tights, choosing to wear a pair of black flats instead of the heels she had originally picked out for herself.

She smiled at him. "Merry Christmas."

He nodded. "Merry Christmas."

Momo glanced around the room for a minute, deciding whether or not she'd talked with enough of the guests that it be acceptable for her to take her leave. She'd say so. "I've been here long enough. What do you say we head out?" And without waiting for him to respond, Momo took his wrist and pulled him gently along behind her.

She led him out one of the main doors, and once they'd safely made it to the hallway, she dropped his wrist and let him move to walk beside her. Leading him up a set of stairs, she began walking them towards her bedroom, navigating the long corridors of the large mansion.

"So," she began, glancing his way. "What'd you do today?"

A part of her hoped he'd say he spent time with family and celebrated Christmas, but she knew it was in vain. He'd told her as much a few weeks ago, after all.

Todoroki hummed. "Nothing, really. Just did some training, maybe a bit of reading."

She deflated, but she already knew he wouldn't have celebrated. She nodded, trying to keep herself from frowning. "Well, I'm glad you came tonight. It really means a lot."

"Thank you for inviting me," he replied politely.

He was more reserved than usual, acting more like he did when they'd only first started talking. He was keeping more to himself than normal. Maybe not celebrating Christmas bothered him more than he let on. He had to know what the day entails, gathering of families, the opening of gifts on Christmas morning. The thought of him feeling left out of it all made Momo sad.

"Todoroki…" Her gaze dropped to the floor as she walked. "Be honest with me. Please. Does Christmas upset you?"

He was quiet for some time, footsteps coming to a stop beside her. She stopped and turned back to look at him when she'd trailed past him. His eyes were clouded over with something Momo couldn't put her finger on, but she knew it wasn't good. She hoped she never had to see him look like this ever again.

"Why do you ask?" He finally answered, still not looking at her.

She almost regretted asking. "Because you're holding back, you're closing yourself off." His eyes flicked up to meet hers, and she smiled warmly at him. "I'm asking because if you're feeling sad, I want to help make you happy again. Even you have emotions, Todoroki. Even if you try not to."

It was subtle, but Momo saw the slightest twitch of his lips, the corners turning up in a small smile. "I suppose so."

She couldn't be sure if he was answering her question or agreeing with what she'd said, but she paid it no mind. Momo reached for his wrist again, pulling him along with her as she began walking again. Instead of pushing more on the subject, she found herself asking, "What's your favourite season?"

"My favourite season?"

She laughed. She probably threw him off with the sudden change of topic. "Yeah. I don't know much about you, so I figured I'd just start with asking you about your likes and dislikes. Like, 'what is your favourite season?'"

He thought for a moment before answering. "Fall."

"And why is that?" She led him to her bedroom door, pushing it open and entering, turning around and holding it open for him as well. When he walked in, she closed the door behind them before making her way over to her bed and plopping herself down on it. She gestured for him to make himself at home, tossing off her shoes.

He decided to sit on the bed beside her, leaning back on his arms. He looked around the room in curiosity. "I don't know. The temperature, I guess. The colours. Seeing kids dress up for halloween. Pumpkins."

Momo laughed, throwing her head back at his random list of reasons for liking Fall. He seemed like the type to like a season because it was better for training or something, but his answers were as mundane as they came. He was human, after all. Sometimes she forgot just how normal he was under that thick wall he had built up around him. "Okay, okay, what about, uh, favourite food?"

He tilted his head at her curiously. "Are you just going to keep asking me questions all night?"

"Probably." Hey, at least she was honest.

"I see." His lips curved up in that familiar small smile of his. He'd been smiling more and more, and Momo rejoiced at the thought. "Does cake count?"

Momo laughed again. He truly didn't seem to mind this little game of questions she started, and she was glad. Perhaps no one had ever shown interest in what he did and didn't like and this was all new for him. While the thought was sad, Momo was happy she might be the first one who showed interest. "Yes, cake counts. Definitely."

She fell back onto the bed, now staring up at the ceiling, legs dangling over the edge of her bed. When she looked over at Todoroki, he was watching her, turning slightly so he faced sideways on the bed. She draped her arms over her stomach comfortably. "Cats or dogs?"

"Dogs," he answered instantly. "They interact with people more than cats, I find."

Momo was surprised by his answer. She would've figured he'd choose cats because they were easier to take care of and didn't demand as much attention as dogs do. With how busy he always seemed, a cat made more sense, but with his lack of love growing up, a dog made a lot of sense. A dog could make up for the love he'd missed more than a cat could. In her thoughts, anyways. (sorry not sorry. I know you like cats, Andrew, but fuck youuuuu bitch)

She was being too quick to assume, but she was learning a lot about him this way. She quite enjoyed this. "Tea or coffee?"

He made a face of discomfort. "I don't like either. I like hot chocolate though."

"Hot chocolate is the best," she quickly agreed. "Add marshmallows and it's even better."

"I've never had marshmallows in mine."

Momo pushed herself up onto her elbows in a hurry, looking at him in shock. No. Way. "Really?" She exclaimed redundantly. "You're missing out. We'll have to have some with marshmallows together sometime."

He nodded slowly. "Sure. That sounds fun."

She cheered to herself inwardly, holding herself back from jumping up in happiness. She lowered herself back down onto the bed. "Favourite colour?"

It was such an innocent question, but she noticed the hesitation in his eyes, his features softening. Todoroki leaned back against the bed beside her, his eyes now also trained on the ceiling above them. He breathed in deeply, and Momo turned onto her side to look at him. "Blue."

She propped herself up on one elbow and looked down at him, meeting his eyes when they flicked over to look at her. "Any particular reason why?"

He held her gaze for a few breaths, then looked back at the ceiling. "My mother's ice."

Momo could've sworn her heart just melted into a big puddle of goo. She smiled kindly, reaching a hand over to rest on his shoulder and his eyes turned to meet hers again. "That's sweet."

"Yeah."

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, Momo falling back onto her back to look up at the ceiling with him, hand slipping from the warmth of his shoulder. She figured that was a good stopping point to her game of questions, and after a while, slowly sat up.

She took a deep breath and stood on shaky legs, moving to her closet across the room and sliding the door open. She paused to gather herself before retrieving the carefully wrapped gifts from the top shelf, not bothering to close the closet door afterwards.

She turned and found Todoroki sitting up on the bed again, eyes locking in on the presents she carried in her hands. "Yaoyorozu…?"

Momo took a seat beside him on the bed again, his gifts sitting in her lap. She smiled at him nervously, setting aside the smaller gift and holding out the larger one in front of her. "Open this one first. The second one is kind of special."

He was slow to take the gift from her, eyes wide and looking at the wrapped gift before him. It was wrapped in simple green wrapping paper, small snow flakes adorning the green. He'd never gotten a Christmas present before. He ran a hand over the smooth surface of the box slowly, taking it all in. Yaoyorozu had gotten him a gift. His eyes snapped up to meet hers in question. But, "Why?"

"It's Christmas," she answered with a shrug. "Go on, open it."

Todoroki didn't have to be told twice, ripping away the wrapping paper and revealing an old cardboard box. He paused to look up at her and when she nodded, he pulled the lid off and peered inside. He reached a hand inside and pulled out a light blue and white knitted scarf. He stroked the soft, thick yarn as if entranced.

When she'd decided on the colour, she didn't know his favourite colour, and didn't want to ask him out of fear of giving away her secret. Her inspiration for using the colours she did was actually his quirk. His ice. The ice given to him by his mother. She was suddenly really glad she decided to go with the colours she did. The way she weaved the white and blue together made it look like the colour of his beautiful ice, a nice winter-white with an icy blue intertwined together.

"Did you make this?" He asked her, unfolding the scarf across his lap gently. His eyes were wide with what looked like awe.

She nodded happily. "Yeah. It took me a long time, but I figured out how to make it just right. I always see you wearing a hat and gloves, but I've never seen you with a scarf, so I thought I'd make you one. The colour choice was really lucky. I just went with my instincts, I guess."

Todoroki wrapped the scarf around his neck and smiled happily at her. "Thank you, Yaoyorozu. I mean it. I wasn't expecting to receive any gifts today."

"That's the point of surprises, isn't it?" She teased. "And we're not done yet. You've still got one more to open."

She picked up the rather small rectangular box and hesitated. "I put a lot of thought into this one, and I hope it isn't too much, but…" She held it out to him. "Here."

He took the box from her hands gently, their fingers brushing, and began peeling the wrapping paper away. The box underneath was burgundy, and was obviously a box containing some sort of jewelry. Todoroki looked up at her, only for her to gesture back at the box in his hands nervously.

He slid the lid off and set it to the side, eyes going wide at the silver gift inside. He brushed his thumb over the cool surface of the dog tag, sliding over the engraved letters along the surface.

'Shouto'

It was a simple gift; something to identify him. She knew he struggled to figure out who he wanted to be from time to time, and she hoped this helped him in a way. "I, uh, I made that too—with my quirk. It took me a long time to get the engraving right though. I swear, I have like a hundred of messed up versions stashed in my room back at the dormitory."

"I decided to go with Shouto," she continued. "Because that was what you decided to go with as your hero name. I figured you would like something simple like a dog tag. Wear it, and whenever you feel like you're losing your way, look at it and tell yourself who you are."

When he finally looked up from the dog tag, his eyes shone with unshed tears.

She smiled brightly at him. "You are Shouto."

He seemed to be stuck in a daze, staring at her in reverence long enough to make Momo reach forward and pull the small box from his hands. His heterochromatic eyes watched her as she retrieved the dog tag from the box and slipped the chain over his head, letting it hang around his neck.

Momo's fingers trailed down the silver chain to touch the engraved pendant hanging from it. She let her hands fall back to her sides as took a step back to admire her work, nodding in approval. "You're all set!"

Todoroki looked down at the silver dog tag and reached a hand up, wrapping his fingers around it and holding it tightly in his hand. A few tears fell from his eyes and he wiped them away quickly, as if he only realized he was crying just now.

Suddenly, Todoroki stood, closing the distance between them with a single step and pulling her into a firm embrace. Todoroki was never one to make much physical contact, the most Momo had ever gotten from him being a hand on her shoulder or giving her hand a squeeze. The hug took her by surprise, but it didn't take her long to lean into his warmth and slip her arms around his waist.

"Thank you…," he breathed against her ear. "Momo."

Her breath caught in her throat at the use of her first name. She squeezed him a little tighter. "You're welcome."

Momo didn't know just how long they stood there in an embrace. It could've been seconds. It could've been minutes. But that didn't matter to her, to either of them. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, catching a whiff of what smelled like laundry detergent mixed with something else she couldn't quite describe. It was familiar…his natural scent. She'd only ever smelled small traces of it before, but she recognized it all the same.

It was a nice smell.

When they finally pulled away, Momo noticed the happy grin on his face, his white teeth in full view. He looked happier than she'd ever seen him, his wide smile reaching his eyes. Momo wished she could stop time and savour this moment. She almost wished she had a camera to capture just how happy he was. But, even though she couldn't stop time, even though she couldn't take a picture, she would remember this moment forever. She was sure of it.

She took a shy step back, tucking her dark bangs behind her ear. "So…," She smiled at him cheekily. "Coke or Pepsi?"

Todoroki laughed, shaking his head at her. "Pepsi."

And so the game continued.

When they finally realized how late it had gotten, Momo walked with Todoroki to the front door, laughter filling the long halls as she continued her game of questions with him. The questions scaled from what his favourite song was to whether or not he thought he could take on an ostrich in a fight without quirks, their smiles bright and eyes shining.

When Todoroki began bundling himself up to leave, Momo didn't hesitate to follow suit, slipping into her own coat and boots. "I'll walk you to the gate."

He nodded, pulling his hat on, concealing his half-red, half-white head of hair. He untucked his new scarf from under his coat, running a hand along the soft fabric once before slipping his hands into a pair of gloves.

He followed her out the door and closed it behind them. The winter air was cold and light flakes of snow fell from dark, cloudy skies. Momo shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket as they descended the front steps of her parents' large house, leaving footprints in the snow as they made their way to the front gate.

Todoroki stopped a few steps short of the gate and turned back to her. Just when she thought he was going to start saying his goodbyes, he began pulling his gloves off. She watched in curiosity as he dug a hand into the pocket of his grey dress pants. "I, uh, I actually got you something for Christmas too."

He pulled his hand out from his pants pocket, but whatever he held in his hand was hidden inside of his closed fist. "It isn't much, but it's something."

And then, slowly, he uncurled his fingers and revealed a fabric-woven bracelet. Momo laughed lightly at the colour choice, shaking her head at him. She held her wrist out to him. "Put it on me?"

He smiled shyly at her and nodded, taking her wrist and tying the bracelet around it.

"Did you make it?" She eyed the red and white design. To anyone else, it might've looked like a candy cane designed bracelet, but to her, it was a symbol of him. His hair.

"Ah, yeah. My sister taught me how." He said with a nod, eyebrows furrowing in concentration as he worked on the tying the knot. "The colours were her idea. Thought you'd get a laugh out of it. That, and it's kind of like leaving my name behind."

"Well, your sister was right." She quipped with another laugh.

He spun the bracelet around her wrist so the knot was facing downwards and then pulled his gloves back on. "Perfect."

Momo smiled down at the red and white encircling her wrist, running her fingers over it gently. She couldn't agree more. "Thank you, Todoroki. I love it."

"Shouto."

She looked up at him.

His heterochromic eyes seemed to glow in the dimness of the night. "Call me Shouto."


End file.
